If you love the HD598 but want just a bit more bass, go for the 600s/650s. You would probably want to go up to at least an O2 or Magni for amp. The HD598 is an awesome value if you don't need the extra bass, though.

Originally Posted by CaptTripz

Well, I had to go ahead and go with the 598s as they dropped to $199 new on Amazon this AM and I couldn't pass it up :-) Right at the price point I already had set aside and would require no additional amp purchase to properly power (currently have Fiio E17). I've heard good things about these and if they're anything like the 590s I've heard then they'll be perfect. I'm sure the upgrade itch with strike sooner or later and 650s may be in my future still. Thanks again for the insight guys.

Well most of the vocal range comes in below 3khz, but treble can affect vocal clarity as well, especially consonant definition (think "s" and "t"). It mostly depends on preference; some people say the HD650 is a little veiled in general, but it sounds very natural to me, personally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesino

Generally speaking, are vocals in the midrange or treble? I know people sometimes have negative sentiments regarding the treble of the 650's, but does this mean that they think the vocals are bad?

Generally speaking, are vocals in the midrange or treble? I know people sometimes have negative sentiments regarding the treble of the 650's, but does this mean that they think the vocals are bad?

"Treble" is a consumer term for the upper frequency range. Vocal frequencies range from about 200 cycles to 3,500 cycles but then you have sibilance, which can go as high as 10,000 cycles (or 10kHz if we're talking "Hertz") in a vocal recording.

Sibilance happens during the recording of vocals, through improper mic'ing techniques and/or the "wrong" microphone (it's not just a matter of throwing the most expensive mic in the chain). Headphones like the 650 do well with recordings that have a bit too much sibilance on them because of the roll off in the upper freq range. In cases where you have a recording that is a little too "hot" in the upper frequency range, the 650s smooth things out a bit so these kinds of recordings will have less "bite".

Have you tried ebay for lightly used ones or open box ones? If you don't mind used in good condition, you can do pretty well on ebay. Just look for the ones used for less than a month. Those usually go for 425 to 450. Maybe less.